President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday inaugurated the reconstructed Lagos Governors’ Lodge in Asokoro, Abuja, urging political leaders to preserve public infrastructure for future generations.
Represented by First Lady Oluremi Tinubu, the president said public assets belonged to the people and should outlive individual leaders.
He said the quality of infrastructure and institutions left behind should serve as a measure of good governance.
Tinubu noted that Lagos, as Nigeria’s commercial hub and a centre of excellence, deserved infrastructure that reflected its status and aspirations.
He commended Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for delivering the facility, describing it as evidence of the state’s commitment to excellence and responsible management of public infrastructure.
“Public assets belong to the people, and it is our responsibility as leaders to preserve what has been entrusted to us, improve it where necessary, and provide lasting infrastructure that future generations can inherit and benefit from,” he said.
The president said the timely completion of the project reflected the Lagos State Government’s commitment and the efforts of those involved in its execution.
He recalled that the old structure was demolished in October 2025 to make way for the new facility, which he described as a befitting official residence for the Lagos governor and his family in Abuja.
Tinubu expressed hope that the facility would remain a place of peace, comfort and hospitality for successive administrations.
Sanwo-Olu described the commissioning as another milestone, saying the lodge was designed as an institutional centre for government business, strategic engagements and relations with the Federal Government.
He said Lagos continued to maintain significant economic and political interests in Abuja despite the relocation of Nigeria’s capital to the city in December 1991.
According to him, successive governors regularly visit Abuja for National Economic Council and Council of State meetings, as well as engagements with ministers, lawmakers, diplomats, governors and investors.
He said the old lodge had served the state for decades but no longer reflected its current status and expanding responsibilities.
Sanwo-Olu disclosed that Julius Berger Nigeria Plc reconstructed the facility, with work beginning in July 2025 and completed in September 2026.
He commended the construction company for delivering the project on schedule despite technical challenges, including excavation work to a depth of about 10 metres.
The governor, who is expected to leave office in May 2027, said the facility was built for successive administrations and would provide a suitable environment for official engagements, hospitality and advancing Lagos’ interests.
“I believe a government should build things, not stay long for itself to enjoy,” he said.
Earlier, Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat described the lodge as a renewed institutional presence of Lagos in Abuja and a strategic investment in government business, hospitality and official engagements.
In his project briefing, Julius Berger Nigeria Plc Managing Director, Peer Lubasch, said the facility occupied approximately 2,700 square metres and comprised a main residence, guest house and utility building.
He said several subsidiaries of the Julius Berger Group participated in the project, with PrimeTech handling the designs, while other subsidiaries supplied the windows, façade components and furniture.
The commissioning attracted former Lagos governors Babatunde Fashola and Akinwunmi Ambode, members of the National Assembly, traditional rulers, state officials, business leaders and other dignitaries.
